Western CNC tools aid Russian bomb production amid sanctions
KAB bombs, which combine old FAB bombs with UMPK modules, are a critical type of weapon enabling Russians to occupy territory in Ukraine. It turns out that their production would not be possible without machine tools, including those from Germany and Japan. We explain why.
Russian combat tactics, despite the addition of new elements, have remained largely unchanged since World War II. They rely on the use of large amounts of equipment, soldiers, and firepower to neutralize resistance points.
Currently, in times of equipment shortages, so-called exploitation infantry units are mainly used, for example, in civilian cars or motorcycles, whose sole task is to force Ukrainians to open fire.
Subsequently, artillery fire or an air raid dropping KAB glide bombs is called on the identified firing points. These bombs, containing up to 1,500 kilograms of explosives with an accuracy of less than 10 metres, or more in cases of jammers disrupting satellite navigation, can destroy any field fortification.
After such bombardment, the Russians usually send another disposable infantry group into the region and repeat the action until successful. In this way, they captured, among other places, Avdiivka and areas up to Pokrovsk.
UMPK modules—without Western CNC machines they won’t exist
Russian KAB bombs are created by adding UMPK modules to old FAB bombs, creating analogs of American JDAM-ER bombs.
The modules themselves, aside from electronics, are made of aluminum, which requires precise machining—a significant issue for Russia currently. As journalist Łukasz Michalik of WP noted, in 1990, Russia was the world's third-largest producer of numerical machines, providing it with sovereign production capabilities for its own industry.
However, five years later, the volume of machine tool production dropped to zero, and local solutions were replaced by much newer imported machines. After the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine, due to sanctions and the withdrawal of many companies from the local market, there are issues with acquiring spare parts or replacements for worn-out machines.
Companies that violate sanctions, like Haas Automation (punished by the USA), always appear. According to the report "The Makers of Ruin: Glide Bombs, UMPK, and Their Civilian Cost" prepared by the NAKO (Independent Anti-Corruption Commission) commission, the most popular CNC machines and tools such as lathes were from German and Japanese manufacturers.
Western numerical machines in Russia—here are some examples
NAKO prepared a list of known equipment used by 26 entities associated with the production of UMPK modules based on, for example, information about the machine parks of given companies or job offers requiring the operation of specific machines.
The very extensive list includes machines such as the VDF Boehringer VDF 1110, Maho 400T, RIEBESAM 23-03Т, Siemens 802 dl, Kitamura-Fanuc 16iMB, Matsuura MX520, NOMURA NN—32YB3 XB, and OKUMA MULTUS B300C. These are only some examples from Germany and Japan; the list also includes items from the USA, South Korea, and even the Czech Republic, such as Haas DT-1, Hanwha SM485, or MASTURN MT 550i CNC.
